Papermoon Puppet Theatre presents Mwathirika

Review by Honey B

This dark tale about an Indonesian anti-communist purge in the 1960s will stay with audiences long after the curtain falls.The non-verbal puppet piece, Mwathirika (it means victim), was full of raw emotion as it looked at the impact of persecution on average people as it focused in on a family and its neighbours personalising the story.Many people were executed or imprisoned during those horrific days in Indonesia's history.But Mwathirika followed the story of two children, Tupu and Moyo who were left without their father, Baba, after he was marched away by armed soldiers.The children were forced to fend for themselves, while neighbours were too scared to help them and they looked the other way.The four highly-skilled puppeteers were amazing and the puppets themselves were beautiful and conveyed so many feelings - from joy to pure pain.The production also featured projected images which were quite chilling.This story could have been from any country at any time - the loss of it all was palpable.Through the eyes of children and puppets this story connects in a breathtaking way.